A refrigerator is an apparatus that keeps stored items at a freezing temperature or less or at a temperature slightly above freezing using a refrigerant cycle that consists of compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation.
Such a refrigerator includes a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment, and doors to open and close these compartments. Based on a configuration of the refrigerator, the doors may be configured to open and close the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment via pivotal rotation thereof, or may be configured to open and close the freezing compartment or the refrigerating compartment via forward and rearward sliding thereof.
In particular, in the case of many refrigerators used in the United States and Europe, a bottom freezer type refrigerator in which a refrigerating compartment occupies an upper region of a main body and a freezing compartment occupies a lower region of the main body is employed in consideration of the fact that the refrigerating compartment is more frequently used.
Based on the above described configuration, the refrigerating compartment is provided with a pivotally rotatable door, and the freezing compartment is provided with a sliding door.
In the case of the door to open and close the freezing compartment, in particular, a pair of guide rails is provided to extend from both lateral sides of a rear surface of the door. The guide rails are connected to support portions formed at both lateral sides of the interior of the freezing compartment to enable sliding of the door.
However, when weak users, such as the elderly and infirm persons, women and children, pull the sliding door, many users suffer from physical fatigue due to a heavy weight of the sliding door.
Accordingly, in the case of the sliding door, there is a demand for a method or configuration for easy opening of the door with less effort.